Eagle's Nest Wilderness - Upper Cataract/Mirror Lake Overnight Llama Trip

We will hike in on Thursday July 18,  work around the Lake on Friday and Saturday July 19th and 20th, and hike out on Sunday July 21.  If you can't make Thursday and wish to hike in Friday, we will try to put together a Friday hike-in group. We will hike in about 6 miles on the beautiful new Surprise Lake trail reroute that ESWA helped create. Llamas will carry some of your gear, but in exchange we will ask you to carry a tool (shovel, rake,...). This area is one of the prettiest places in the Eagles Nest Wilderness.  This is a great opportunity to hike in with an experienced group of backpackers. 

The ESWA llama trips offer great opportunities to explore some of the beautiful more remote areas of the wilderness with experienced backpackers and help restore some these harder-to-reach areas.

Two US Forest service rangers guide the trips and they may make changes due to conditions (snow pack, water level at stream crossings,…). Typically, we backpack in on Friday (usually 5-7 miles) and set up camp away from the more heavily used areas near the lakes.

The llamas often have extra capacity and may carry some of our gear (sleeping bag or tent) as well as tools and protective equipment we need. The llamas walk steadily, but not fast. People generally hike at their own pace with one of the rangers arriving early to mark the camping area not far from a water source. Personal water purifiers (filters) are needed. We are all responsible for our own food, cooking/eating gear, and camping equipment.

The forest service has bear-proof containers if you need one which we hang away from our tents at night. We practice Leave No Trace camping so we don’t build campfires, but we generally eat together.

ESWA also brings some happy hour supplies for everyone. In addition they give out individual WAG bags instead of digging a pit toilet. The llamas carry the WAG bags back.

The following morning, after breakfast and packing lunch, information about possible hazards and proper use of the tools is presented.

Then we usually hike up the trail and break into smaller groups to do various restoration activities. These might include scattering illegal fire rings and restoring the area, restoring illegal campsites (typically on lakeshores), trail maintenance (erosion control, trimming vegetation, …), pulling noxious weeds, and repairing and adding signage.

Everyone works at their own pace and we are urged to take frequent breaks and drink lots of water.

We return to camp in the late afternoon to enjoy the wilderness and each other’s company. The following day is spent mainly backpacking out. Sometimes there is an opportunity to do some additional work for those interested.

Please contact krista.a.hughes@gmail.com with any questions.